Propulsion of boats, yachts, or the like.



No. s7s,|e4. Patented lune u, l90l.

- J. a. VILLAR.

PROPULSION OF BOATS, YACHTS, OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheefs-Sheet l.

wttnesses: Inventor.-

J. G. VILLAR PROPULSION 0E BOATS, YKCHTS;-:-0B THE LIKE. .7

(Application filed Dec. 10 190D.)

I -1 ..h r .9

Patented-lune "Q- i (No Model.) z sheer-sha'etz.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

enn GASPARD vILLA-R, or OHELTENHAM, ENGLAND.

PROPULSION OF BOATS,YACHTS, OR'THE LIKE.

"SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 676,164, dated une 11', 1901.

. Application filed December 10, 1900. Serial No. 39,369. (No model.)

To all whom it wea concern;

Be it known thatI; oH'N G sman VILLAR,

a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at The Holt, Oheltenham,Gloucester, England, have invented new and useful Improvementsin thePropulsion of Boats, Yachts, or.

the Like,- of which'thfe following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide improved means for propelling boats, yachts, and the like by the explosion of combustible mixtures or materials without the interven-.

imparting motion to the boat or vessel, valves being provided forpreventing the entrance of waterinto the said cylinders or chambers andfor-obtaini'ng the full efiect of the fresh column of water forced into the passage by atmospheric pressure, or the gases may be caused to act upon pistons which will themselves eject the water. 7

In' the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is r a side elevation of the hull of a boat having bow and stern of said vessel.

my improved propelling mechanism applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of a suitable form of propelling apparatus constructed according to the principle of the invention, and Fig. 4. is a sectional side elevation-thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

a isthe hull of the boat. I) b are the cylinders or chambers in which the combustible mixture is exploded, and c 0 cl d are the tubes or passages in connection with the said cylinders and which extend, respectively, to the In practice I find it advantageous, as shown in Fig. 2, to providethe cylinders and tubes in duplicate on either side of the central vertical plane of the vessel, this arrangement being preferable as it enables the vessel to be steered, if required, by means of the water-jets issuing from the tubes. y

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the combustion-chamber b is in connection with the tubes or passages c and d by means of the connecting pipe or passage 6, a valve f being provided at the junction of the two passages c and cl with the said pipe 6, the said valve is either driven forward or backward, as

may be desired, being under the control of the steersman by the aforementioned mech= anism.

g is an air-valve which is provided at the head of the cylinder or chamber 7), the said valve being normally closed by the spring g but automatically opening to admitair to the chamber after each explosion, when the pres sure within the chamber is reduced below that of the atmosphere.

h is an oil-pump to which oil is fed through the pipe h and from which it is ejected, through the pipe h into the upper part of the I chamber or cylinder 1). The piston of the pump connectedto the rod '0' is normally retained in the bottom of the pump-cylinderby the spring *6 and is adapted to be forced upward, so as to eject a charge of oil into the chamber b by the means hereinafter described.

j is a valve which is secured to the pivot j, mounted in the upper end of the connectin g-pipe e, and is adapted to be normally held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by the arm 70, which at one end is provided with a weight 70 and at the other end is keyed upon the pivot j in such a manner that the weight 7.3 by its gravity tends to close the valve j. The arm 7c is provided with a slot 70 and in this slot there engages a roller], which is mounted in the forked lower end of a rod Z, the upper end of which is secured to a head 1 having two guide-rods Z 1 which extend upward and through'guides Z Z, tlxed'uponabracket Z carryin'g the-pumph.

m is a cylinder which is secured by means of the bracket m to the'outside of the chamber or cylinder 19. This cylinder is provided with a piston n,-having a rod n, Which-passes,

through a stuffing-box n in the lower end of the said cylinder m, the projecting portion of the said rod 91' being formed with a head n? and a tappet n. The cylinder m is provided with an air-hole m at its upper end and with a small air-hole m and an air-inletz beingsupplied to the saidplug through the wiresip pfiwhich are connected to an induc-f tion-coil p and a battery p.

q is a contact which normally maintains? the circui-tbroken, but which is adapted to 'be operated intermittently, as'hereinafterde-Q scribed, "by the tappet n The-operation of the above-described ap- ,par a'tus is asfollows-that is to say, assum-* ing it to be at rcst, to startthe motor the plug p 'isremoved and the-nozzle of a blow-lamp isinserted to heat the chamber sufficiently to 'yaporize the oil. The plug is then replaced andfthe-pump h is manipulated by hand toadniit a chargeof oil into thechamber b, this: charge-mixing with "the air contained in-the said chamber'to form an explosive mixture. If it-"is required to drive the vessel forward, it the valve f is turned into the position shown in Fig.4, andthe contact q is manipulated by thefatt'endant, so as to explode the charge in troducedintothechamberb. Theexpansionof the-gases formed by the explosion throws open th'evalve j and forces out the water in the passage or-pipe d, expelling it'at the stern 0tthe vessel with sufficient force to drive the said vessel forward. The opening of the valve j lifts the arm 70, and thereby the rod toexpelacharge of oil into the chamber b.

said cylinder m and admitting air beneath the piston'through the valve m. The columnof water being expelled from the passage dandthe gases having partially escaped, wateragain rushes into the said passage, and the- Val've j is closed through the medium of the weights is and 10 so as to prevent-the in- "letof -the fresh column of water into the cha'niberb. -'I"he armsla and 0 therefore descend 'to their normal positions, the former arm bringing 'the head l downward, thus alwing the piston of the pump it to be relowermostpos'ition.

5 nova. pis' an'electric ignition-plug which is 'in-if serted in the cylinder or chamber 1), current- Phe=' opening ot" the valve j also raises the arm ;wl-richstrikes the head a of the rod n, thereby raising the piston n to the top of thecylinder m, expelling the air above the said piston throughthe hole m in the-top of the turned under theaction of-the springi to its The piston-'n,:however, in the cylinderm does not immediately descend, as the air contained in the cylinder beneath it forms a cushion and only escapes slowly-through the outlet m at the lower end of'the cylinder, The rate of descent of the piston n can therefore be regulated to suit requirements. When, however, the piston n reaches its lowermost position, the tappet n strikes the contact q, so as to close or com- .plete the electric circuit and cause sparks to pass between the terminals of the plug 19. This sparking explodes the fresh mixture in the chamber 1), and the operation begins de tappet n descends it will be clear'thatIam enabled to govern "the number ofexplos ion's which take place per unitbf'time.

-I wish it to be understood that I do :not confine myself to-the construction of apparatus hereinbefore described, as it will beobvious that it can be modified in many respects to suit difierent requirements.

Having now particularly described 'a'nd ascertained the nature of my said invention-and in what manner the same is to 'be performed, I declare-that what I claim is 1. In apparatus for propellingboats, yachts and thelike,,the combination-of aconibus tion-cha'mber having an oil-supply pum'pand an air-inlet, of one or more passages in con nection with the said chamber and open to the water, of a valve fornormally closing-the communication between the chamber and the passage or passages, of means for in'termit tently exploding the charge andof means for operating the oil-supply pump'by the =movement of-the valve, substantially as herein'before described.

2. In apparatus forpropellingboats, yachts and the like, the combination of -a"c'ombustion-cham'ber having an oil-supply pump and an air-inlet, of one-or more passagesin-"connection with the said chamber and open 'to the water, of a valve for normally closingthe communication between the chamber and-the vpassage or passages,-of arms in connection with the valve which operate. theoil supply pump and a tappetand-of an electric contact adapted tobe operated by the tappet to ignite the explosive charge, substantially as hereinbefore described. I

3. In apparatusfor propelling boats and the like, the combination with the combustion chamber, and apassage connectedtherewith and communicating with the water,-'of 'a-.pivoted outlet-valve for said combustion-chamber, a hydrocarbon-injectorpump connected with said chamber and provided'wit'h a movable piston, operative connections between said piston and said outlet-valve, whereby the opening of said "valve to-allow th'e esc'ape of .gases automatically actuates said pump,sub-

stantially asdescribed.

like, the combination with the combu'stion By regulatingthe speed at-which' the a 4. In-apparatus for propellingboatsand'the I chamber, and apassage communicating therewith and open to the Water, of an outlet-valve for said combustion-chamber, adapted to open under pressure of gases in said chamber, yielding devices for holding said valve normally in closed position, and for returning it to closed position after an explosion to prevent water from entering said combustionchamber, substantially as described.

JOHN GASPARD VILLAR. Witnesses:

W. FORDHAM, P. G. COOKLEY. 

